House's car
This article is about House's regular vehicle. For the Corvette he received as a gift, see House's 'Vette House's car is a 1988 or '89 Dodge Dynasty, an interesting choice for a man like House, who has been shown to have an affinity, if not an addiction, to extremely fast-moving vehicles. House's choice of such a hum-drum, downright pedestrian vehicle, not noted even at its introduction as a particularly scintillating example of automotive performance excellence, contrasts sharply with his obvious appreciation for fine motorcycles, monster trucks, and even other cars. In fact, House may have bought this car new, thus coinciding with the estimated time of his first meeting with Wilson. It may be that the car has some sentimental attachment due to this fact. Despite House's rather cavalier attitude towards routine and boring tasks, it is evident that he has kept the car up, as the Dynasty was afflicted with Chrysler's notorious A604 Ultradrive "nightmare" transmission, a plague to Chrysler owners since 1989. It is possible, even probable, that he has had to have the transmission rebuilt several times over the last two decades, an unthinkable investment in a vehicle which would not be worth the price of one such rebuild on today's market. The Dynasty plays a fairly large role in House's successful attempt to plumb the depths of Thirteen's mysterious absence from the team, miraculously traveling from Princeton to Schenectady and back (with significant side-trips) without displaying any of the mechanical maladies which were doubtless lurking under the hood, ready to pounce at the slightest hint of actually needing to be somewhere important at a specified time. (The Dig) The Dynasty gave its last full measure in demonstrating House's unhappiness over Cuddy's getting past their relationship, and now rests peacefully in Cuddy's dining room, secure in the knowledge that it has done its duty in soldierly fashion, may it rust in peace. (Moving On) The Dynasty (or an identical lookalike) makes its triumphant return in Season Eight after Gregory House and Chi Park run a con on the wealthy Jessica Adams to get her to pay for the car's repair while thinking she's doing a favor for the notoriously hard-to-please Park. The repairs are said to cost $4500, well over double the 2012 market value of the car and frankly a borderline-insane amount to spend on the Dodge. House could have easily gotten a newer and better vehicle for that kind of money, lending credence to the idea that the car holds some special meaning for him beyond its utility as a form of transportation. The Dodge Dynasty The Dynasty was introduced by Chrysler in 1987 and was discontinued in 1993. It replaced the Dodge 600, and was itself replaced by the Dodge Intrepid. The original model was produced in the same plant as high-end Chrysler cars, the "Imperial" and the "New Yorker." Unlike other new models of that era, which had a more aerodynamic design, the Dynasty maintained the boxy design of similar models, hoping to appeal to older, more affluent buyers. This design also offered more trunk space. However, it was technologically advanced, featuring options such as digital dashboard display, rear seat headphone jacks and anti-lock brakes. It was powered by a Mitsubishi V-6, one of the few passenger cars that used this engine as most of the available supply was used for minivans. Later years used a Chrysler-designed 3.3 liter V6, Mopar's first clean-sheet V6 design and another well-known mechanical nightmare. The Dynasty was only marketed as a Dodge in the United States - it was marketed by Chrysler in Canada and Mexico. At the time, luxury vehicles were being made smaller, and sales were suffering as a result. Chrysler saw this as an opportunity to introduce a slightly larger car that they could produce at a modest price, hoping that the lack of competition in this particular niche would result in a vehicle that sold well. It was a modest gamble for Chrysler as the market for this type of car appeared to be shrinking. However, they only needed modest sales in order for the model to be profitable. It listed at $12,000 for a basic version, and up to $19,500 for a fully equipped version. It competed with the Cadillac Deville and the Toyota Cressida, outselling the former over 5-1 during the same model years and selling twice as many in five years of production as the latter sold from 1976 to 1995. The car had average power for its class, and its suspension was decidedly average - it was not a power car by any means and had limited maneuverability. It was strictly a car for cruising at modest speeds, but the suspension also made riding in it very comfortable, even over rough roads. Dynasty and New Yorker had front struts which were unique to American cars at the time. They were specially designed to reduce ride harshness and noise; partly grooved cylinders allowed hydraulic fluid to bypass the strut piston in normal driving, but under rough conditions the strut piston slid past the end of the grooves, increasing resistance and reducing the impact of the suspension against its internal stops. The Dynasty was a high end vehicle and, during its production run, one customized Dynasty was delivered to a customer at a list price of $22,000 - a record for a Dodge at that time. It had several high end options for the time, such as a vinyl roof and early anti-lock braking technology. The Dynasty and its sister the Chrysler New Yorker were the last of the unlamented K-Car platform sedans. Behind the Scenes Appearances * One Day, One Room * Moving On * The Dig Video Category:Props Category:Featured articles